If the Man Fits
by kurosora1984
Summary: Keep him. AkuRoku, Happy Valentine's Day 2010.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

So like, on Wednesday I was all like, "Shit! Valentine's Day!" So I put the other projects on temporary hold so I could whip this out.

Ah, Valentine's Day...I fucking love this holiday. Let the record show, this is my 25th consecutive ValDay _without _a significant other, and life is good and this holiday is just good fun. So enjoy it, and if any of you feel the need to specifically wear black today, I'mma just say it's cuz you all look so sexy in some sleek, slimming black. So there. 8D

Now have a fic. Read with chocolate. ;D

_Based on a true story_.

* * *

There was nothing fun about stairs in mid-January.

Really, there was nothing fun about four flights of stairs and no elevator at any time of the year. They were admittedly worse in winter though, when the impossible-to-close-properly front door at ground level allowed a constant draft right up to the fourth floor of the stairwell, guaranteeing that no resident could hope for better than sub-zero temperatures until they were well and truly into their rooms.

The worst problem with these particular four flights of stairs at this moment, however, was not the cold or the fact that they seemed to go on forever. It was the five-thousand-ton, some-assembly-required _desk_ Roxas was trying to transport _up_ those flights of frigid stairs.

Cheers to grandmothers and their good intentions and their feeble memories resulting in late Christmas presents sent right to one's brand-new apartment. And cheers, of course, to delivery companies that merrily dumped a giant box just inside the door on the _ground_ floor and walked off, leaving a shortish, thinnish blond with the problem of how to move the damn thing up all those stairs.

When he couldn't even fucking _lift_ it. Not even close. _Solid oak writing desk. Thank you __**so**__ much, Gran._

Alone in his new town, Roxas had no one to call. He'd moved in just over a month ago after taking a new job – an administrative assistant. Or, more truthfully, a _secretary_ for a closeted boss who _really_ liked blonds with pretty faces and nice asses. He'd have loved to feel insulted on principle – being offered a job because of his _looks_, how _trashy_ – but there were bills to pay and a living to make, and novels took time and didn't pay well and principles were a luxury and apartments on the fourth floor cost the least, even if they killed your legs on a good, _no desk_ day.

So Roxas devised a clever plan – cut the box open and begin carrying the desk to his apartment in pieces. Big, heavy, awkward pieces – but at least ones he could _lift_. And if it meant he froze to death at some point in the endless climbing up and down…well, perhaps his tragic death would get his novel published posthumously. And then maybe his parents could get enough royalties to make up for how much his college had cost them.

Roxas was getting bitter in his train of thought, but really, few people could have done better in his situation. At least he was almost to his door and he could put this _ridiculously _awkward piece down soon. As he reached for the doorknob – left unlocked since he'd be right back – Roxas was wondering if he could leave the box down there alone for 10 or 20 minutes while he rested and warmed up…

_What the…_ The sight that met his eyes was not familiar. The door had opened to an unexpected scene, and the first two things Roxas saw were a TV much larger than his own hand-me-down piece of shit…and a shirtless man. Stupidly, his first thought, as his mouth hung open in surprise, was, _Am I getting a new TV too?_

"Uh…I'm sorry," He managed to spit out an apology to the unfamiliar man, who was looking up at him with a mildly surprised expression, evidently not expecting a visitor while he was watching TV. Then, the unfamiliar face relaxed slightly, a flicker of amusement creeping into the deep, extremely pleasant voice that answered.

"No problem. Wrong apartment?"

Still in shock, Roxas glanced over at the door for a moment, finally registering the wrong number – he was on the _third _floor, right below his apartment. _Why the hell isn't your door locked? _"Yes." He gasped lamely, then turned back, brain still trying to figure out what the hell he should be saying right about now to this half-dressed stranger. Half-dressed…well-built stranger. With really startling red hair and a _tattooed_ _face_ – scary – and the most attractive, friendly expression Roxas had ever seen.

"Yes." His mouth repeated, without Roxas' permission. "Uh…I'm sorry."

The handsome stranger shrugged one bare shoulder – also tattooed, Roxas noticed, blinking at the green Celtic cross – and shook his head. "It's OK, no worries." _Maybe it's unlocked because he can beat the shit out of anyone who tries to steal his…giant, amazing, plasma TV. _Not that Roxas was looking at the TV anymore. _Abs, pecs, arms…shit._ _Am I supposed to introduce myself?_ That thought didn't last long. Roxas could feel his face heating up from embarrassment, and he _really_ didn't want to stick around and try to meet a neighbor while blushing like a schoolgirl.

Instead, he opted for one more fumbling apology and backed quickly out, trying to close the other man's door smoothly and failing with a bang, thanks to the oversized chunk of desk he was still holding. Wincing at the slam, Roxas turned tail and…well, if he couldn't manage running, he hiked back to the stairs as quickly as possible, berating himself for missing the fact that the landing turned again and led further up, rather than stopping here. _Pay some fucking attention, idiot. And you, legs! I don't __**care**__ if you think we should have been on the third floor! Quit fussing and accept the fact that you are fourth-floor legs already, and don't fucking ever try that again!_

Roxas was so busy snarling at his exhausted legs that he dumped the desk piece in his living room and turned right back around, and didn't remember his idea of taking a break until he was back on the first floor. Then, of course, there was nothing to do but roll blue eyes heavenward and pick up another armload of wood and start another trudging, panting trek to the top floor.

This time, he was only carrying one piece, because it was the largest and heaviest and there was no _way_ he could handle more. And even this was probably too much, Roxas realized at around the second floor landing. By the third floor, he was gasping for air and not looking up – not until shoes and tattered jeans came into view where only dirty, worn carpet should have been.

Eyes shooting up, startled, Roxas saw the man whose apartment he'd just walked into – now, fortunately, wearing a hoodie – standing there smiling at him.

"Hey. Need some help?"

"I uh…that's OK…" Roxas began, but the redheaded man interrupted him.

"That looks really heavy. You live upstairs?" Roxas could only nod, dumbfounded. "Here, let me help you with that." The man smiled, disarming him a bit, acting so friendly and casual and grabbing hold of one end of the wood. The weight lessened at once, and Roxas really couldn't argue anymore.

"Th-thanks for the help," he managed, sure his face was getting red again. He really didn't know what to say now, and he felt so _awkward_ about having walked into this guy's living space, but the man was clearly not bothered at all…

"Hey, you live right above me," the man commented as they reached Roxas' door. "No wonder then, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that…" Roxas tried to speak while fumbling the new piece into his living room and adding it to the pile of desk sections already there.

The man disregarded the words. "You got more of that to bring up?" He was already heading back to the stairs. "Let me give you a hand. You must be getting tired, if you brought all that up on your own."

Roxas tried to dissuade the guy, tried to insist that, "It's really no problem, please, I don't want to trouble you…" but the redhead just waved that off.

"Psh, whatever. Come on." And that was that. The lanky young man made a few more trips with Roxas, bringing up the rest of the desk. The blond had to admit, it was a lot quicker with help. Especially help that wasn't tired already, like he was. And help that was…apparently quite strong. _Wow_.

On trips down the stairs, they chatted a little. Having been asked, Roxas explained about the desk and his grandmother. The man helping him laughed, but offered his sympathies, especially about the cold. Then he made a joke about working up a sweat in spite of the chill, running all those stairs.

"We've just met, and here you are getting me all hot and sweaty in the middle of the day." A sharp grin flashed and a bright green eye winked. "Tisk, tisk."

Roxas couldn't believe the guy had just _said_ that. Nor could he come up with an answer. Not that it mattered, because this was the last trip…

But when the guy stood in his front room after dumping off his last armload and Roxas was trying to thank him again very politely, the stranger introduced himself and seemed in a great mood for friendly chatting.

"So I'm Axel, I'm your downstairs neighbor, nice to meet you." There was nothing Roxas could do except take the offered hand and shake it, answering.

"I'm Roxas. I just moved in last month."

"So, Roxas," the man's smile was still warm and casual, and really…not awkward at all. Not like Roxas felt. Or had felt…because he was feeling decidedly less awkward just being around this guy. "You gotta put this desk together, huh? Got the tools and stuff to handle it?"

"Uh…" Roxas scratched his head. _Crap_. He'd meant to get some basics, just…hadn't found the hardware store yet…

"No? Well, don't worry. Give me two seconds, I'll go get mine." He was gone before Roxas could protest, and back in minutes, refusing to hear arguments. Especially once Roxas had to admit that he had no idea how to assemble a desk. That made the guy – Axel – grin all over again. "Well, you're in amazing luck then, Roxas. You happen to live directly above a professional carpenter."

"Oh, but I can't ask you to…"

Axel held up a silencing hand. "Now now, don't go stepping on Fate's goodwill. She'll get pissy and make you burn the apartment down by accident, and then where will I live?" He chuckled – the nicest sound Roxas had ever heard – and slapped the blond's shoulder lightly. "Just…enough with the standing on ceremony, huh? I've got nothing to do, and I can have this finished for you in half the time you'd need to do it. Welcome to the apartment, Neighbor."

So Axel put together the desk. Roxas served Coke and Doritos and assisted when possible and they talked about the apartment, moving, Axel's jobs – being a carpenter was only one of them apparently, and the better term would have been "jack of all trades" – Roxas' job, Roxas' boss, Roxas' boss' creepy eyes and occasionally wandering hands – a lot of nothing, really.

"So your boss pervs on gorgeous young men like yourself, huh? Is he married?"

"Yeah."

"Sucks for her then."

Roxas snorted. "Agreed, though the one time I met her…well. I didn't feel too sympathetic."

"She's a bitch?"

"Pretty much."

"Hmm." Axel fitted two joints contemplatively. "Sucks for you then."

"Yeah, thanks."

Roxas was startled to catch a wink from the redhead. "It's the curse of beauty, isn't it?" He had to fight back a rather warm smile that still managed to creep into his eyes. _Is he saying…?_

"What, me?" He tried to laugh it off. "Maybe to dirty old bastards."

That alarmingly attractive grin sharpened another degree. "Hey now," Axel's voice was lower all of a sudden…purring. "That's not nice. I'm not _that_ old."

Roxas' stomach did a nervous little flip. "Oh, but you're a dirty bastard?" He watched Axel kneeling on his carpet and looking up at him, calm and unmoving a few feet away, not making any motion toward him, just…sitting there letting the air heat up between them. Lazily. Like he had all the time in the world.

Shrugging amiably, green eyes still fixed on his own, Axel answered, "Can't deny it."

Spine tingling, Roxas knew exactly what the other man was saying. And, while he knew he wasn't ugly, the implication that Axel found him attractive was…thrilling. _So…that answers one question about him…_

But if Roxas hoped things would go further, he was destined for disappointment. Axel just grinned at him – more than a little knowingly – and slowly and deliberately turned his attention back to the desk, and the conversation back to innocent, getting-acquainted chatting.

Roxas made Axel a sandwich for lunch. Axel finished the desk a while later. The two of them worked together to move the huge thing into place in a large enough empty corner. Axel cleaned up his tools.

"Well, Neighbor, give me a call anytime if you need anything else. Oh, right, you'll be needing my phone number for that." It was appalling how easily the man could pull off such a cheesy and possibly pushy line with easy friendliness. "Here, switch phones!"

The blond barely had time to catch as Axel tossed him his cell. He considered commenting on this sudden familiarity – maybe he could get Axel to flirt a little more – but after a pause he decided it was better to make sure he had that phone number first. So Roxas tossed his own cell back, and the two punched buttons for a minute.

One perfectly innocent goodbye later, it was the end of the first encounter. Or the second, depending on how one chose to count it. But that didn't matter much, because there would be many, many more.

~o~

On another day, Roxas' phone rang. He paused his game quickly and fished his cell out of the pocket of his slacks, which he hadn't bothered changing yet. Most of his suit had been cast off, but his undershirt, slacks, and socks remained while he shot holes in aliens.

He checked the caller ID and inhaled rapidly, grinning and trying to swallow his voice into submission, make it sound casual. "Hello?"

"Hi!" Axel's voice over the phone was just as low and friendly and nice. "You home?"

"Yeah."

"Good, I'll be up in two minutes."

That was it.

Blue eyes blinked in a little surprise, which was even harder to conceal once Axel showed up and nonchalantly plopped himself down and joined Roxas in a little world-saving a.k.a. alien-shooting. It wasn't a level of familiarity he'd expected, but…hell, Roxas wasn't about to complain.

For the second meeting, that was all. Axel left after an hour.

For the third meeting, Roxas decided to take some initiative too. It seemed pretty clear that Axel was going to call and invite himself up again eventually, and Roxas didn't want to be a girl and just wait around for him. Besides, he could be laid-back too…if he tried a little. So Roxas made a call on a Sunday afternoon.

"Hey!"

"Hey…you home?"

"Yeah, watchin' the game." _Game? Oh yeah…football._

"Mind if I, uh, join you?"

Axel's voice took on a singsong quality. "Get downnnn heeeere!" Roxas almost snorted into the phone with laughter. Good thing Axel had already hung up.

So Roxas went downstairs and knocked, and that was how he met most of Axel's friends in one go – they were all over for pizza, beer, and football. And they were just as laid back as Axel was about new people. Roxas was pulled in, introduced, handed a beer and some pizza, and then all attention was drawn off him again quite suddenly – to the blond's relief – when the one girl in the company let out a screaming string of profanity at the TV. Everyone turned to either catch the replay of the interception or laugh at the girl's reaction.

The new guest didn't even get a chance to feel lost. Without warning, a hand grabbed his wrist and tugged him down, plopping him onto the sofa right next to Axel, who grinned in his usual lazy way and let go, draping his arm over the back of the couch…not touching Roxas, but close. A low voice muttered, leaning in, "Don't worry about Larxene, her team is losing and she's a psycho."

"Ah, right. Of course." Roxas shifted, trying to act calm, get settled, and maybe end up just a little closer to Axel. Not that it was hard – the couch practically took care of it for him. In a very few minutes, the rest of the people were sitting down again, crowding the seating and assuring that Roxas and Axel were squished into full-body contact.

Maybe Axel kept it warm in his apartment in general. Maybe it was all the people. Maybe it was the beer, or the body touching his own – shoulder to ribs, hip to hip, thigh to thigh – whatever it was, Roxas began to feel very hot. _Good_ hot. And woozy, after a few beers. It was a wonder he didn't start sneakily misbehaving, being so close to Axel. But…they had still just met…it wasn't a familiar place, there were lots of people… So Roxas behaved. Why Axel did the same was a little harder to guess, but the fact remained that the redhead didn't make a pass at him. Instead, Roxas was eventually allowed to leave, unmolested. Unless…unless a long stare right into his hazy, intoxicated eyes counted. Eye molestation…maybe. But while a guy was just saying, "Thanks for coming, see ya later," it didn't seem that way… But then Axel's voice had been so _low_, so soft and _purring_ again…

Roxas was really glad he'd called.

~o~

The next time Axel called, they didn't do much of anything. Ordered a pizza and watched TV, and Axel asked about Roxas' day, and Roxas complained a little about his handsy boss. It seemed like everything had started with a light touch on his shoulder, which had then moved every day until it was resting between his shoulder blades. Now, that unwelcome hand was making slow progress downward with each contact. It had been halfway down Roxas' back today.

"Right about here?" Axel asked with a mouthful of pizza, calmly sliding his free hand over and touching Roxas' back. The blond's stomach did one of the little leaps it had been practicing lately.

"Mmm, like, about an inch lower."

The warm touch shifted slowly. "Here then?"

Nerves singing, Roxas forced his breathing to remain steady and his face relaxed. "Yup." Axel's hand lingered for just a heartbeat longer than necessary…then it was gone.

Swallowing some Coke, Axel tossed out a concluding comment. "He ever touches your ass, I'll castrate him."

A shiver ran down Roxas' spine, headed straight for said ass. The blond took a steady swallow of his own drink and arched an eyebrow. "What if he touches something else?"

Their eyes met, then parted a moment later. "What, if he skips the ass and goes for the other thing?" Roxas nodded. Axel shook his head. "Nah. He's an ass man. He's going for that first. Even if he had you at his mercy and didn't need to pretend, he'd be forced to go for the ass first."

Snorting, Roxas made his voice sound skeptical. "You're pretty confident."

He was rewarded with Axel's grin – the brilliant one, the one he was getting very used to…the one that was beginning to play a frequent role in some very private daydreams. The man's voice was low and smooth again. "It takes one to know one."

And then he dropped it. _Again_. Axel's talent for implying things and then suddenly coming up with a completely new topic without seeming evasive was beginning to drive Roxas nuts. The flirting was so _clear_, and yet Roxas didn't feel like he was free to push the issue. Axel was always in control of the insinuations, and seemed pretty content to keep it at that, for now. Roxas just hoped he planned on letting things go further _one_ of these days. One of these _soon_ days, preferably.

~o~

He called Axel a few days later. "Hey, you home?"

"Ah, not yet, sorry." Axel worked odd hours sometimes. Roxas had kind of expected this sooner or later. It was why he had to work up the nerve to call at all. But Axel continued, "You are, right?"

"Yeah."

"Gimme about half an hour, maybe 45 minutes."

"OK."

Just when Roxas thought their interactions were getting easier to understand – routine friendship with torturous amounts of flirting – Axel showed up right from work, still carrying his tools and wearing work boots and looking pretty dirty. Roxas blinked. The redhead stood in the door and grinned.

"I stink, but I'm here…if you still want me." Something about the little upward curl of one corner of Axel's mouth made it hard for Roxas to get his voice out to answer.

"Absolutely." Blue eyes met green, making sure the invitation and welcome were felt. _Hey, he may be fine with taking his time – he may even have reasons – but that doesn't mean I can't nudge a little._

"Great." Axel strolled in, setting his tools down and turning to Roxas. "So, what did you want me _for?_"

That was another new thing – Axel had never given or requested a reason for them to meet up before. He'd always acted like it was just…obvious. Roxas didn't have an excuse handy.

"N-nothing." His cheeks tried flushing a little, but he hoped he could force them back to normal…or that Axel wouldn't notice. "Do I need a reason? Can't I just…_want_ you?"

Sparkling green eyes ran over him slowly, the laughter in them somehow so sexy, making Roxas feel so desired…

But Axel's tone was too business-like. "Well, I'll make you a deal. If you can beat me at Street Fighter without falling to my horrible personal stench, you can want me anytime and I'll come." Then he winked, belying the disinterested tone. Roxas felt himself grinning.

"You're on."

Roxas won.

The next moment, victory tune still playing, he was leaning back as the redhead advanced on him slowly. Axel was crawling forward, over him, _prowling_, eyes locked, face close…voice impossibly low and sexy…

"So…you win. I'm yours. What do you…_want_…Roxas?"

_Oh my God, no way._ Roxas was shocked by the sudden change, the sudden…_offer_. But, was Axel serious? Would he really…? _But…but…I can't just __**say**__ it! I can't just…when we haven't done anything at all, I can't tell him to __**do**__ something! He…I…oh man, he does kinda stink…_

Momentarily distracted, Roxas pulled a little further back as Axel moved forward, and automatically breathed through his open mouth. He might have made a little bit of a face, too…because Axel suddenly smirked.

"Uh oh…you were defeated by the Stink Monster after all! You lose!" And just like that, Axel was up and off him and heading for the door. _You have got to be fucking kidding me. You…you…fucking tease!_

Scrambling up, Roxas followed. "But…wait! That's not fair…"

His voice died abruptly as Axel turned, and suddenly they were very, very close, crammed in the small entryway. Standing inches apart…Axel's gaze focused, intently piercing his eyes, his lazy smile almost crafty, the expression was so certain, so very damn well _aware_…

"Don't you worry, Roxas." And – _Oh fuck, don't – _the taller man was murmuring. Truly, totally _murmuring_. "I won't cheat. I'll still be yours, if you want me. But…not today." Another wicked little wink. "Today, I'm going to go home…and take a shower. So don't take a shower yourself right now, because our showers are right over each other, and they use the same pipes, and I'll be taking all the hot water. Because sometimes it takes me a really…long…time…to get all…clean…after work." He was dragging out his words, torturing Roxas with mental images of that body, naked, so close as water streamed over Axel's toned form, as his hands roamed, washing himself, touching…

Roxas was biting his lip. Movement out of the corner of his eye failed to drag his gaze from Axel's, but the blond didn't flinch when the unexpected touch came. Axel's thumb brushed his lips lightly, finger touching under his chin as a gentle pressure freed the lip Roxas had been biting…then traced briefly over that same chin. Just there. That was all. Then Axel's hand was gone, and his eyes too as the redhead vanished from the apartment.

Five minutes later, Roxas was lying on his bathroom floor, listening to water run and fantasizing. Axel _did_ take a long shower. Roxas wondered if he was required to feel guilty about this if maybe, _possibly_ Axel was doing the same thing.

~o~

It was only a matter of time before Roxas came home angry and exhausted one day, his legs complaining about the stairs as usual but getting no attention whatsoever. Roxas' mind was fuming and hovering on the brink of weary collapse.

His boss' hand had made it as far as the small of his back, and the man's lecherous gaze was making work miserable.

But the blond _administrative assistant_ didn't want to think about that. He wanted to let off steam and relax. He wanted to shoot some aliens. He sat down to do so…but he sat on what had recently become Axel's side of the couch. And it was funny – Roxas didn't feel like Axel had been there _nearly_ enough, yet apparently he spent enough time sitting here these days that the man's scent had begun to cling to the fabric a little…

Within minutes of noticing the smell, Roxas was carelessly tossing ethics and aliens out the window in favor of a little relief. Pants open and stiffening cock free, he began stroking slowly. It didn't take long to get fully hard, sitting there, surrounded by the faint trace of Axel's scent. Besides, there were just too many little memories to fuel his imagination. Too many glimpses of a narrow, probably tightly-muscled ass showing off to nice advantage in denim. Too many times Roxas' eyes had slid over to the front of Axel's jeans as well, quickly analyzing and trying to measure, to guess at how the man's member would look…especially hard. _Oh God…_ Roxas whimpered slightly, jerking harder. _God_ he wanted to see it. Axel. Hard. And fully naked would be nice. _So nice_. Grinning at him the way he always did…maybe with that little curl in the corner of his mouth, the one that made Roxas shudder with desire, made him want to claim that teasing mouth until he swallowed every trace of that lazy grin that always signaled the end of their flirting. He wanted it to continue. Continue and get bolder, hotter…more physical.

His hips flexed and his hand moved quickly and Roxas didn't bother trying to last, just let go, releasing with a soft grunt…and, when it was over, a satisfied sigh. If only it was with Axel… Roxas imagined the redhead pulling him closer now, that gentle finger touching his lips like the other day, pressing softly…green eyes eating into his soul, like acid, like a drug, like they did every single time Axel looked at him…

The phone rang.

"Hey, you home?"

Blue eyes widened and Roxas tried to catch his breath and jump up at the same time, all while sounding normal. "Uh huh."

"All right. Be right there." _Shit, shit, shit!_

Tissues, zipper, button, sink – Roxas was just drying his hands when Axel arrived. It was a miracle born of desperation that he managed to present a normal façade in such a short time.

"Were you killing things?" Axel inquired innocently, noticing the paused game.

Breathing out with a bit of a sigh and unconsciously rubbing at his eyebrows, Roxas answered wearily, "Yeah, kinda." That drew a somewhat more attentive look.

"Rough day?"

Flopping onto his couch, Roxas admitted, "Yeah." Axel was already following suit, flopping onto his side _where Roxas had just been jerking off thinking about him_ and fixing the blond with an "I'm listening" look. Forcing himself to pretend the last five minutes of his life had been completely innocent, Roxas began to relate his boss' actions that day.

"Did he touch your ass?" Green eyes were narrowed, looking just a little threatening.

"No," another sigh, "but he was about as close as physically possible without actually getting there. And it was totally inappropriate…"

His words stopped. Axel was on his knees on the couch suddenly, bending over Roxas, face too close, body too close, hand wrapping around behind him and…spreading slowly over the small of his back.

"Here?"

Roxas gulped, transfixed. "Yeah…" He couldn't force his voice to work, could only _breathe_ the answer. Axel's expression was suddenly unreadable.

"That _is_ inappropriate. You should sue." He didn't move away. Not in the slightest. Roxas struggled to concentrate.

"Can't…" _Because…because…uh…wow. Hot…_ His body was burning. "Uh, no money for a lawyer, no proof besides my word, and no job security. I need the paycheck. I can't do anything about it."

A slight crease appeared between red eyebrows. "I'm not happy about that. That you have to put up with this, I mean. It pisses me off." _Wow…_ The blond could only gape a little. Axel continued. "If he goes any further I really will get mad. He's a fucking bastard for thinking he can touch you like that, without permission." The hand still warming the very lowest place on Roxas' back twitched slightly, the fingers moving jerkily in place, as if they wanted to move…move down… "It's only decent to ask first. Or at least give a guy some warning before going that far."

"Yeah?" Roxas was breathless. "What kind of warning?"

Axel's mouth curled slightly at the corner, and for one moment, Roxas was afraid that was it – he was going to back off and throw out some disinterested-sounding answer like always. But that fear only lasted a moment…because Axel didn't move away. He leaned closer.

Weight shifting to bring their bodies nearer, the redhead advanced until he was literally within an inch of Roxas' face, murmuring softly, "Something like…this…" Green eyes were half-closed, warm breath caressing Roxas' lips, waking his whole body up, heart thudding hard and fast as Axel paused just long enough to let Roxas know for sure that this was going to happen and give the blond a chance to collect himself and participate.

And Roxas did. Neither one was responsible for closing the last of the gap. They moved together.

_Soft lips…_ Warmth washed over Roxas in a rippling wave as Axel's lips caressed his, very gently, very…_chaste_. It was a soft, slow, lips-only kiss, but it was warm and delicious and every nerve in Roxas' body was crackling with energy, devouring every detail of the way Axel kissed him and waiting for a signal, a hint, _anything_ to indicate they could go further. He was so impatient for more, so longing for Axel's mouth to open, for his hands to…do anything! But, though the kiss lingered for a long time, the other man never advanced further. His hands didn't move either – though Roxas almost couldn't believe it. One was propping Axel up, supporting him over Roxas, while the other remained firmly on the small of his back. _Come on…please move…just a little down…come on…_ No luck. Incredibly, Axel did not move to touch Roxas' ass. He did, however, press gradually harder and harder with that hand, bringing Roxas' lower body closer by degrees as fingers moved in slow, meandering caresses that made Roxas want very much to just _snap_, just grab the man and _grind_ against him and tongue him to within an inch of his fucking _life…_

With a little separating sound, Axel pulled back and broke the kiss. Blue eyes opened first, watching as Axel's opened very slowly – dreamily, almost. But when they were revealed, there was nothing dreamy about the burning intensity in them as Axel stared at him for a long, long moment.

Then he moved again, eyes not quite closing as Axel placed one more kiss on Roxas' lips, slow and soft, but very brief. At that, he pulled back again, further this time, and spoke quietly, low and even, with just a little sparkle left of the green inferno of moments ago.

"Dinner's on me. Pizza or Chinese?"

_What. The. Hell._

"Ch-Chinese?" Roxas swallowed hard, embarrassed by the high-pitched waver that had snuck into his voice.

"Chinese it is." And there it was again, that warm grin, just…gentle this time.

The infuriating, laid-back, smiling redhead called for Chinese delivery. The shell-shocked and _very_ unsatisfied blond sat on the couch in a bit of a daze, mind wandering between whether he wanted Axel to come back and talk about that little kiss or just…come back and do a lot more like that. The only real point in favor of the talking option was that it might get him a definite answer about Axel's intentions, which would be more than welcome.

However, Roxas received neither. Axel came back only to put in a movie, and he gave Roxas nothing but Chinese food…and he let Roxas have both fortune cookies. "When you get something for nothing, you just haven't been billed for it yet," and "No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future." Not helpful, not even for mentioning to bring up more insinuations and flirting.

At the end of the movie, Roxas was trying to rapidly calculate his chances of getting a favorable response if he jumped the gorgeous redhead. After all, they'd kissed…that _had_ to mean something! Roxas _knew_ Axel was interested, he just didn't have any solid _proof_, and he was so nervous that the redhead would suddenly change his mind and reject him or tell him he had it all wrong and then Roxas wouldn't be able to say anything because even that _kiss_ could be explained away in context of the conversation and _Fucking hell I'm over-thinking this I need to just __**stop**__ and…_

Too late. Axel was leaving.

"Sunday is the Superbowl, party starts at five thirty, so don't forget…" The tall man was talking over his shoulder as Roxas followed him to the door. He was perfectly in character, bringing something up for the first time and just assuming Roxas would come.

"…and if you can bring chips or a side that would be great, everyone's bringing something…" _Thud._ Blinking and stunned, Roxas stared at Axel's face, suddenly turned toward him, and realized that the man had just spun around, mid-sentence, and pinned him to his own wall. Hips to hips, chest to chest, hands fast sliding down his arms to lace fingers with his own…Roxas gasped. Axel bent down as he finished speaking.

"See you Sunday." The human voice shouldn't be able to drop that suddenly, changing tone and mood and everything in the blink of an eye…not that Roxas was blinking. His eyes were wide as Axel kissed him, and it was nothing like before. It was forceful and sensual and hard and deep and quick, just a little bit of lingering at the end, a slow withdrawal as Axel took back his tongue before Roxas could even fully register the amazing _taste_ of the man. His body was so hot, pinned completely by Axel's, and his mind was spinning and his heart racing and then the gunshot-sudden burst of passion was over with a grin and a wink and a "Bye" and Axel was gone.

It was at least five minutes before Roxas moved an inch from that wall. It was longer before he'd fully processed everything. But by the next morning, he was sure. There had been no excuse for _that_. No "other reason" or different way it could have been meant.

Axel had made himself clear.

~o~

There are always occasions when a somewhat tighter than usual shirt comes in handy, and Roxas decided that Sunday was one such occasion. So it was only a slightly-small T-shirt…that didn't matter. It clung to his narrow waist and hips, and that was what mattered.

Ironically, Axel also seemed to be in possession of a smallish T-shirt, a band shirt with a weird logo that wasn't actually tight, it was just a little…small. More of the tattoo on the man's toned bicep was visible than usual, and – most important of all – there was only about a half inch of overlap where the T-shirt met Axel's rather low-slung jeans. It took Roxas milliseconds to register the man's outfit and groan internally, hoping he didn't make an idiot of himself ogling Axel in public. _Oh, fucking do me a favor and buy a __**belt**__…__**please!**_

Axel didn't.

Most of the guests were already there when Roxas arrived, bringing his chips as an offering well-received. This time, it seemed he was expected to help himself, and Roxas did, having figured out how to act around these people after spending so much time with Axel. The game started. The couch was crowded, and Roxas tried very hard not to inhale too conspicuously – he was crushed up against Axel again, and _God_ but that man knew how to smell alluring. And then he'd get up, getting more food or beer or something and usually bringing something back for Roxas without asking if the blond wanted anything. And every time Axel got up, Roxas tried very, very hard not to stare at the little flash of lower abdomen or lower back…but it was a vain effort. Especially after he glimpsed more ink…

By halftime, Roxas couldn't very well take it anymore. Screw being in someone else's house, in public. Screw Axel's casual, nonchalant behavior. That kiss _had_ happened, and Roxas _knew_ he wasn't the only one interested. If Axel had a monk's restraint, fine. Roxas didn't.

Everyone was up at halftime, all over the apartment, but when the halftime show started, they all filtered back to watch the band. Axel, however, headed for the kitchen. Roxas didn't hesitate. Out of sight of the others, he stepped close behind the man and spoke low – "Hey" – and he was right there when Axel turned around.

Smiling with as much allure as his racing, nervous heart would allow, Roxas let his hands rest on the narrow hips that had been driving him crazy. Axel looked down, eyebrows rising as he smiled back. "Hey, you."

Curling fingers hooked into empty belt loops, tugging the taller man closer. "You should really put a belt through these, you know?" Invitation was heavy in blue eyes. Roxas felt a small surge of triumph as Axel grinned, setting aside the beer he'd been opening and letting his body be pulled against Roxas'.

"Yeah," He answered, that curl in the corner of his mouth starting to drive Roxas wild. "But then there wouldn't be much room for your fingers, now, would there?"

It was surprising, but Roxas didn't let more than a flicker of it show on his face. _Oh you tease, you fucking tease, I knew it!_ But all he said was, "Good point." Then he was reaching up, Axel very obligingly lowering his head so Roxas could claim his teasing, gorgeous mouth with a very erotic kiss. _Oh God, yes, this is it…_ Roxas had been trying to recall Axel's taste for days. Now, he was going to make damn sure he memorized it. And, in the meantime, he was going to prove that Axel wasn't the only one who could _kiss_. Tongue moving expertly, fast at first, but then sinking into a slow, pleasuring rhythm, Roxas did his level best to make Axel just as frustrated with desire as he was.

The redhead hummed with pleasure and let Roxas take control, one hand slipping around Roxas' neck to pull him in a little more, and the other…the other started on Roxas' ribs and very smoothly and unassumingly slid around to his back and down. All the way down. So the slow, sensual groping came as no surprise, really, and Roxas was able to keep from jumping or doing anything else to break what was fast becoming a bit more than just heavily seductive kissing. Even when Axel's hand moved yet again, this time to press firmly in a very intentional spot, Roxas just whimpered and rolled his hips a little and didn't back off in the slightest. Axel just…tasted much too good. And anyway, he really, _really_ wanted everything Axel was doing in response to him.

All too soon, however, a yelp from the doorway interrupted them. Roxas normally would have jumped back in a fit of embarrassment…if he hadn't been so utterly _lost_ in enjoying Axel at that moment. Instead, he just opened his eyes, catching sight of Axel doing the same, making a rather hilarious expression as he peered sideways at the person in the doorway while not disconnecting his mouth from Roxas' _quite_ yet. When he finally did – to Roxas' disappointment – it was only to send a rather irritated glare at his friend, which the sandy-blond seemed to understand perfectly.

"Holy shit, sorry Axel, I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just startled…"

Eyes narrowing, the redhead answered, "OK, so beat it already Dem." At that, the other young man smiled rather mischievously.

"Well, OK, but since the damage is already done…" He turned and, to Roxas' dismay, raised his voice. "Axel 'n Roxas are makin' out in the kitchennn!"

"Oh!" A voice replied, "Now _that_ is more interesting than The Who!" Axel groaned, Roxas blushed, and they disentangled from each other as a loud chorus of "No way!" Bullshit!" and general laughter reached them.

One other voice – it was probably that pink-haired guy, Roxas guessed – called over them, "Blasphemy! Nothing short of fucking is more interesting than The Who, Larxene!"

Demyx, snagging a beer and turning to go, called back, "Well, they aren't fucking yet, but check them again in five minutes, Marly." Renewed laughter. Roxas just _knew_ his face was as red as Axel's hair. Nevertheless, they had to rejoin the group now, or else suffer perverted accusations from the others the longer they remained alone.

So they grinned a little at each other – Roxas somewhat sheepishly, Axel somewhat wickedly – and returned to the couch among welcoming jeers. Then, when the attention finally returned to the game, Roxas went suddenly still to hear Axel's voice murmuring low, right in his ear.

"You drive me crazy, you know…"

The timing had no rhyme or reason, but Roxas realized something very clearly in that moment, and made a split-second decision to speak. To be honest, the way Axel was. Open and direct.

He whispered back into the redhead's ear, "Good. I like you."

Green eyes were full of flickering fire, and Axel's arm was most definitely around Roxas' shoulders this time. It squeezed him tightly as they stared at each other for a long moment before returning their attention to the party – eyes facing forward again, as if by some unspoken agreement.

~o~


	2. Chapter 2

On Monday, Axel called Roxas. By now, Roxas just unlocked the door when Axel called, and the other man did the same…if in fact he ever locked his door at all. Roxas still hadn't found out.

When the redhead walked in with a cheerful "Hi," Roxas barely had time to look up from the couch where he was shutting down his laptop. Without breaking stride, Axel reached the couch and plopped down, pulling Roxas against himself in one smooth motion and kissing him, deep and delicious and not stopping for anything. Within a minute, Roxas had crawled into Axel's lap to more comfortably make out while Axel's hands explored his ass again. Roxas let his own hands get tangled in long red spikes and tried not to pull too hard.

Axel was still cupping Roxas' ass when the redhead purred against his lips, "I _like_ this. Anyone else touches _this_," a gentle squeeze, "I really will kill them." His lazy smile made Roxas smile back.

"I better not tell you then."

Axel stiffened at once, eyes sharpening and brows coming down. "He _didn't_…did he? He better not have…"

"Oh no no!" Roxas quickly amended. "Don't worry, he didn't, I was just…saying…" The body underneath him relaxed, Axel's smile returning.

"That's OK then." Their mouths connected again, exploring slowly and sensually. They tried to stop after a while – they put in a movie, but ended up in each other's arms, ignoring it. Eventually, they turned it off and just started talking, and that seemed to work better. Axel's current job with a home improvement project and a little of Roxas' writing ideas and a bunch of nothing much – conversation turned out to be the only thing that could interrupt their more erotic activities.

~o~

On Tuesday, Roxas called Axel on his lunch break.

"Hey, are you gonna be home around 5:30?"

"Yes, Dear." This in a falsetto.

Blue eyes rolled, but Roxas couldn't stop the grin. "Good. Bake me a pie, Woman, and I'll see you then."

Axel was laughing when he hung up.

Roxas' legs were delighted to stop at the third floor that afternoon. The blond didn't even bother going upstairs to change. Green eyes sparkled up at him from Axel's couch, running over the suit Roxas wore before breathing appreciatively, "Damn."

Arching an eyebrow, Roxas lowered his voice comically, "Honey, I'm home!"

Snorting at the joke, Axel rose and just pounced. Roxas was pinned to the wall and his mouth thoroughly ravished. Then he was stumbling backward a step at a time while Axel shoved his jacket off his shoulders…and then he was falling onto the couch while fumbling fingers loosened and tugged off his tie.

"Sexy nuisance," the taller man growled as he tossed the tie and set to work on Roxas' shirt buttons and made the blond moan as his neck was attacked by that pleasuring mouth…

But Roxas wasn't the only one who lost his shirt that day. Axel's came off too, in a fit of passionate necking, and Roxas enjoyed discovering a tattoo on the other man's shoulder blade – that kooky band logo again, the one that looked like some kind of mutant guitar-cross – and the _top_ of yet _another_ tattoo peeking from under the front of Axel's jeans. Axel grinned and pulled the denim down teasingly, revealing more of his hip and most of a red and black spiked wheel design. Roxas growled his appreciation and grabbed the man again.

They both kept it above the belt, however, and eventually slowed down. Roxas was lying on the couch and letting his hand trace the ink on the redhead's shoulder blade; Axel lay between his legs, face near the blond's stomach. Roxas nearly died of laughter when Axel planted a fingertip on one of his nipples and held it down, speaking in an overly-serious tone, "Kirk to Enterprise…beam me up, Scotty."

When he could breathe again – cheeks sore from laughing so hard – Roxas pinched Axel's nose and tried to sound stern. "Where's my pie, Woman?"

Axel kissed him hard and served him ice cream.

~o~

Wednesday and Thursday Axel had a job from mid-afternoon to late in the evening, and they didn't see each other. Roxas sat and tried to write through the long, dull hours before bed, thinking very little about his novel. Plotting other sorts of plots instead.

On Friday, Roxas called Axel again, and again, his legs were pleased to take him to the third floor instead of the fourth. Axel was waiting in the doorway, watching the stairwell. His eyes were a complex blend of delight and mischief and admiration and impatience.

"Aw, damn. No suit today?"

A snort. "Casual Friday."

"Ah." Axel nodded, moving aside for Roxas to enter the apartment, and eyeing him approvingly. Apparently the dark jeans and turtleneck sweater pleased him too. Enough, at least, that the redhead was unceremoniously kicking the door shut as soon as Roxas was through it and enveloping the smaller young man in a rib-cracking embrace while he kissed Roxas just about everywhere at once. The blond couldn't help laughing happily.

"OK, OK, I missed you too, Axel. But back off a second."

Axel did, but he looked like someone had just kicked his puppy. Exaggerated hurt and shock stretched green eyes wide. "You want _this_," he swept a hand from shoulders to somewhere below his hips, "to back _off?_"

_It's OK, you can do this…_ Roxas smiled meaningfully. "No…I want _this_," he reached out to touch Axel, running his hand down the front of the man's body, feeling the firm muscles under fabric and under his fingertips as he paused for emphasis, "to show me the bedroom."

Expression altering, softening, Axel smiled again, slight surprise mingled with avid interest. "Oh? What do you wanna see my bedroom for?"

Taking a deep breath, Roxas smiled softly, trying not to blush, widening his blue eyes innocently. "I need to borrow your bed."

For a long moment, Axel just grinned at him, his expressing full of, _No way._ Then, without further ado, he bent, scooped Roxas up, and staggered and grunted a little as Roxas yelped, startled, and clung to Axel's neck to keep from falling. Then it was less than a dozen fast, stomping paces to the bedroom, which Roxas barely got to _see_ before he was dumped on his back on Axel's bed. Catching his breath, the blond looked up to see the other man just standing there, burning eyes pinning him. Big hands twitched, then bunched into fists, but Axel didn't move…just breathed a little heavily, "There. It's all yours."

"OK." Roxas took a deep breath, glancing around the small, slightly-messy room as he sat up. "OK, thanks…" Uncertain blue eyes glanced back at Axel, who was still just waiting…watching him. "Um…" _Damn, don't blush…damnit!_ He reached forward, taking Axel's hand carefully and tugging. "Now I need to borrow you…"

Silently, the man slid forward, lowering himself rapidly and sitting beside Roxas on the bed, eyes never wavering from his face, the intense curiosity in them building. It was making Roxas even more nervous, and he was pretty sure he was blushing for real now, and couldn't make it stop. _Don't back out now…_ Releasing the man's hand, Roxas moved his touch to the hem of Axel's shirt, fingering the material a moment before he lifted. Axel's arms went over his head as Roxas took his shirt off for him, leaning close as it came free so that he could press a few soft kisses to the redhead's collarbone. Then his hands were spreading over what had to be the sexiest chest he'd ever seen, pushing gently, making Axel lay back.

Then Roxas straightened, feeling green eyes still watching him expectantly, and moved his hands to the hem of his sweater, lifting it slowly as Axel watched. The turtleneck came off – turning inside out and almost getting stuck on Roxas' head in the process – and the blond quickly yanked his shoes and tossed them, then leaned over a now-grinning redhead.

One big hand came up to play in his tousled, messed-up hair as Axel relaxed, lying there lazily with Roxas above him. "You," he murmured, "are just the sexiest little mystery I've ever met."

"Oh?" Roxas smirked. "What's so mysterious about _this?_" On those words, he moved to fully bridge over Axel, then lowered himself, pressing bare chests together, hips grinding lightly as his lips hovered close to Axel's, so close…

Close enough to feel warm breath as Axel purred, "Just…how you can act so shy and seem sorta repressed, and still get kinda aggressive like this when I don't expect it." Without _quite_ meaning to interrupt, Roxas let his lips connect with the redhead's in a soft caress that lasted a minute or two. When they parted, he thought maybe he should reply, but Axel spoke instead. "I like this about you."

Heart thumping hard, Roxas tried to act casual. "Yeah?" He smiled, moving against Axel and dipping his head to the side, mouthing the man's neck slowly. "I thought…you only liked…my ass…"

"I am a _big_ fan of your ass," the man replied with exaggerated seriousness…then kissed Roxas again, smiling and flicking his tongue past the blond's lips. Hands moved down to the ass in question, rubbing firmly. "It is _definitely_ an ass like no other. My hands are _enchanted_, I'll have you know."

Still a little too red in the face, Roxas teased, "Is that why you're talking so damn much?"

Green eyes blinked at him, startled…then smirking, then innocent. "Why, did you have something else for me to do?"

Roxas shivered, grin sharp as his fingers tangled and fisted in long red hair. "Hell yeah."

And Axel just smiled and accepted the sudden, forceful kiss, Roxas shuddering with the feeling of _Yes, yes, finally_ and the taste, again the _taste_ of Axel and the warmth of his mouth that made the blond so _hungry_, just craving for more and more and _more_…

He couldn't get enough. He couldn't taste Axel enough, couldn't touch Axel enough – his hands were roaming _everywhere_ – couldn't smell enough of the man's scent, even in his _bed_. The heat was climbing and that was fine – Roxas was very, very ready to _sweat_. For the first time, he started to let his voice out, too. He'd always been afraid to moan…nervous about what would happen if he let himself, not ready yet… But not anymore. Not today.

"Ummmnnn, ahhh…" Axel's hands had moved from fondling his ass through the jeans, and now his fingers were making a point of pressing hard and deep, low…in just the right spot. "Axelll, nnn…" Then, one hand left his ass, heated fingertips just brushing skin, trailing up the line of Roxas' spine, making his back arch and his skin prickle and his lips break away from Axel's. "Ahhh!" His hips had automatically pressed downward too, and Roxas was thrilled and unbearably aroused to feel his growing erection pressing against a similar bulge in Axel's pants.

The sound of a hiss escaping Axel caught Roxas' attention, and he had to grin upon looking down to see the other man biting his lip. He leaned down, but kept his crotch pressed firmly against Axel's. "Hey," Roxas muttered, "don't do that…" He pressed a kiss to those lips, delicately tugging with his teeth to free the lip Axel had been biting.

"Fuck," the man muttered against his mouth, "you really…ungh!"

"Yes?" Roxas asked innocently, grinding his hips once…twice…again…and again, setting up a constant rhythm, rubbing and thrusting their clothed erections together.

The deep voice that thrilled him groaned, and Roxas couldn't quite believe how arousing that sound was. "You turn me on so bad…Roxas…"

Still thrusting, still watching Axel, Roxas arched an eyebrow. "Bad?"

The redhead _humphed_. "Bad as in _good_. So hey," he was struggling the casual words out with a hoarse, throaty voice, and Roxas suddenly stopped his movement as the hand on his back moved around…cupping and squeezing his groin. "Am I gonna get to see _this_ today or what?"

Struggling to keep his elbows from giving out and sending him face-planting into Axel's chest, Roxas whimpered. "Uh, um…" He swallowed to get his voice back, Axel's hand beginning to knead and making it nearly impossible to think. "Yeah…yes…I mean, if you _want…_" _Oh hell, stop blushing, damnit…_ He just _knew_ his face was flaming.

A snort. "Uh, _yeah_. Duh. What, did you think you were the only one trying to size up the other guy's pants?"

Spluttering, Roxas tried to come up with an answer for that…and failed. And then Axel gave him another one of those heart-and-body-melting grins, and he was smiling back automatically, muttering through his grin, "God, you're embarrassing sometimes…"

A stunning wink. "And you're a tease. Sometimes." The cupping hand shifted, tugging at the button of Roxas' pants. "C'mon now. Off." If Roxas thought he'd seen Axel's wicked look before…he changed his mind. That had probably been just…naughty. _This_ was _wicked_.

Suddenly, all the resolve he'd built up before coming here, all the determination and plans…just sort of wavered and shrank back inside Roxas. Overcome by nervousness, he shook his head, moving to tug at Axel's pants instead to divert attention. "N-no…you first…" He had the button popped before Axel stopped him, still grinning maddeningly.

"Why me first? What's the matter, huh? Shy all of a sudden?" His head ducked automatically as Roxas felt his face burning with heat even more. Axel's response…was to laugh. Loudly. And…carefree. Happy.

"Awww, come on Baby. There's nothing to be shy about. We can just compare and see who's bigger…"

Roxas cut him off with a slap to a tattooed bicep and a horrified cry, "Axel!" The redhead went into a fit of very high-pitched chuckles.

But then, as Roxas started to sit back, pulling away, Axel quickly calmed down. "No, no, come on." Roxas felt his arms trapped as he was pulled back down onto Axel. "Aw, don't be mad…I'm sorry, you're just so fuckin cute right now, I can't help it." Roxas tried to glare, unconvinced, but Axel just smiled wider. "Shhh, hey, don't look like that. C'mere, I'll make it better, OK?"

Still skeptical, Roxas nevertheless allowed the man to take hold of his face, pulling him down into another long, slow, comforting kiss. Kissing Axel was just becoming so familiar and _lovely_…relaxation washed over Roxas, gradually easing his tense body until he was just lying limply on top of Axel. He was keenly aware of the movements of the man's hands, but…just not concerned enough to be alarmed by them. Even when they started carefully fumbling at two zippers pinned between their bodies…Roxas just gently shifted, lifting his backside to allow Axel room to operate. He was more involved in the kiss, anyway – couldn't be bothered to remember his fears. Axel…just had that effect on him.

And then the pressure of his pants was released and the fabric shoved a little aside, and after a bit more fumbling, hot, hard flesh pressed against his own and Roxas shuddered at the sinfully perfect feeling and gasped into Axel's mouth and rocked his body and nearly _died_ of the pleasure that motion sent snapping through his body.

So he did it again. Harder. And again and _again, faster_…and a big hand closed around both of them, squeezing him against Axel and creating hot pressure all around him and then stroking, stroking…and Axel was thrusting too, and Roxas couldn't even concentrate on kissing anymore. His face was just pressed into the crook of Axel's neck as he threw himself into the pleasure, forgetting whatever it was that had been scary, just about going out of his _mind_ because it felt so fucking _amazing _and it was _Axel, Axel, nobody ever felt as good as him, ever, oh God, Axel!_

Unthinking, mind erased by pleasure, Roxas felt his body tighten and release, and he rode out the best orgasm he could ever remember having – eyes shut, mouth open, a long moan of Axel's name the only thought he had to voice. He was only half aware of the redhead following shortly behind him.

Then Roxas was panting, rolling off the other man and attempting to collect himself and recover. His mind was drifting back to him slowly…when it suddenly returned all at once as Axel chuckled.

"Heh heh heh…well, that was quick…" Roxas glanced over, eyes wide, to see a familiar smirk and catch a teasing wink as Axel watched him.

"I…uh…" _Oh shit oh shit oh shit please don't think I'm bad in bed, please don't change your mind about me, shit!_

"Well," Axel half-shrugged, "I guess you didn't really leave me hangin either, so I can't complain."

"I…I'm sorry!" Roxas' eyes screwed shut and his hands flew to cover his face. "I…I wasn't really trying to hold out, honest, I promise I can last longer usually, I'm really…!"

"Oh shut up," Axel interrupted, laughing outright. "You dork, I wasn't being critical. I was just teasing, geez." Roxas dared a nervous glance to try to verify the truth from Axel's face. It was beaming at him. "Anyway, I was right after, so what are you freaking out about? Haven't you figured out how hot you are yet?"

"Uh…" Whatever reply Roxas might have come up with was cut off by a very sudden but very soft kiss.

When Axel pulled back, eyes looking adoringly right into Roxas', making the blond breathless, he whispered, "…I'm definitely bigger than you, though."

Unfortunately, Roxas let out a very unmanly wail at that.

"You…! You big…idiot!" Sitting up with a jerk, he finally got his first good _look_…and it was true. Although… "It's just because you're huge in general, you fucking giant! Look! In proportion to your body size…I bet we're about the same!" Then he noticed something else – a rather large mess all over Axel's toned abdomen. "Ah! Oh shit, um…I'm sorry! I got it all over you and everything…"

Completely unconcerned green eyes glanced down. "Hmm, so we did. Oh well." Not having tissues handy, and the nearest clothing – that wasn't Roxas' – being out of reach on the floor, Axel just grabbed a pillow and wiped himself off, dismissing it with, "I'll just throw the pillowcase in the wash."

"Ah." That was all Roxas managed.

The pillow hit the floor, for now, and Axel looked up again, following the path of Roxas' eyes, his face then melting into another naughty grin. "Wanna see the rest of this one now?" Just when his cheeks had been starting to return to a normal color… "Here." Axel pulled the front of his pants further down, exposing the tattoo that started above his hip and ended at the top of his thigh – _two_ of those spiked wheels, overlapping.

And of course, Roxas' eyes stayed very obediently on the tattoo as he murmured, "Mmm, nice…" He wasn't looking at anything else nearby. Of course not.

If only Axel would have believed that. "It is, isn't it?" His grin was devilishly sharp, watching Roxas stare.

"Yeah…" Roxas breathed, still not aware that he'd been caught.

"Pfffft." The sound of Axel blowing out a breath and laughing finally caught Roxas' attention. As he turned to look at Axel, the man was leaning up, bracing himself on an elbow and reaching for him. Roxas felt the warmth of that hand on his face, so surprisingly tender, and laughter filled those beautiful green eyes… "God damn, you have no idea how adorable you are. What the hell do you see in a guy like me, anyway?"

_Everything! You…your smile…your personality, the way you just…just…made us friends so effortlessly…_

But before Roxas could finish forming his scattered thoughts to answer, Axel continued. "Come on, get your clothes back on." Hands tugged his pants back up around his hips for him. "Get dressed before I can't take it anymore and I throw you down and ravish you for being too sexy, Neighbor."

He considered resisting, but Roxas decided that maybe this should be enough for today, even if his libido begged to differ. So…he and Axel got dressed. Then, hand in hand, they left the bedroom. In fact, they left the apartment – Roxas led the way up to his own apartment, luring Axel with the promise of homemade spaghetti. And Axel was highly complementary – "_Benissimo, amor__é__ mio!_" spoken with exuberant hand gestures – and Roxas turned quite red because he could guess what _amor__é__ mio_ meant and Axel hadn't said that yet…neither of them had.

And then the two of them spent the whole evening on the couch, mostly discussing the relative merits of various video games and movies, and occasionally getting distracted by each other's lips. And Axel's parting words at the door – after another particularly tender kiss – were quick and to the point and accompanied by a wink.

"I'm taking you out to dinner tomorrow. G'night."

~o~

Roxas did _not_ agonize over what to wear for dinner Saturday night. He merely took his time, considered various options, and went over his final decision…a few times. Just to be sure. That wasn't the same as agonizing. Not at all.

Just like seeing Axel in a dark green button down and black slacks, hair combed carefully for once…didn't make Roxas stare, stomach practicing a whole new series of Olympic gymnastics. Not at all.

Dinner, of course, was lovely. Not that Roxas needed a nice restaurant or candlelight or for Axel to hold his hand almost the whole time, but…it wasn't bad either. _Not bad at all…_ Roxas was beginning to understand the pattern of Axel's behavior, beginning to learn to go with the flow. Beginning to see how Axel let his actions speak first, before he actually _said_ anything.

And he didn't say anything much even now. Except over dessert, perhaps, when a conversation about family members very suddenly seemed to get sidetracked.

"Did you know," the redhead began, intentionally making eye contact, "that the divorce rate is thirty percent lower for couples who were friends first, and who maintain a healthy friendship throughout their marriages?"

"Uh…" Roxas blinked. "No? I didn't…" He expected Axel to elaborate – at least explain his point – but the man just smiled and kept looking at him. "…Sooo, what are you saying?" The blond felt the corners of his own mouth twitching up a little, a small shiver on the back of his neck whispering _one possible idea…_

"Oh, nothing." Axel shrugged happily. "Just saying."

After dinner they returned home, and by the mutual agreement of each young man's legs, headed for Axel's apartment. There, by the mutual agreement of each young man's libido, they spent a good bit of time on the couch…passionately kissing and caressing each other, then slowly taking turns unbuttoning shirts and unbuckling belts. Roxas' hand took hold of Axel, while Axel's hand pleasured him in return, and, true to Roxas' word, it did last a good bit longer than the day before. Sweating, nearly _writhing_ in the burning heat Axel made him feel, Roxas still managed to hold on, perhaps just because he didn't want it to _end_. When it finally did, in fact, it was _Axel_ who throbbed hard in Roxas' hand and lost control with very little warning, coming first with a moan that, to Roxas, would never be matched by any other sound in the world, ever. It was perfect.

They just lay there after that, reclining on the couch, and as much as they could never seem to tire of conversation…silence, somehow, could mean just as much. Or…almost.

"I'm always amazed," Roxas began quietly, after a while, "at how carefree you can be. How you just…made us friends so effortlessly. I don't know how you do it…make me smile when I should really be getting offended by the familiarity…if it was anyone else. It's just…your personality I guess. It relaxes me somehow. I really…love that about you."

His first answer was a long gaze from soft, smiling green eyes. His second answer was a sweet kiss, chaste and tender, on the corner of his mouth. And his third answer, spoken softly, was more of an afterthought to the other two.

"What a fascinating puzzle you are, my little mystery."

~o~

Sunday was a snowy February day, and Roxas was trying to write while waiting for a phone call. Axel's final word the night before had been, "You're busy tomorrow," so Roxas supposed he'd be calling at some point. He was a little surprised, then, by the out-of-the-blue knock on his door.

His jaw hung open in shock at the sight that met his eyes when he opened the door.

Axel. Standing there. With a rose in his mouth, a box of chocolates under one arm, what looked like a giant pink and red card under the other, a teddy bear on the floor in front of him, a _lit_ candle in one hand, and a velvet jewelry box in the other.

"What…the…"

"Woksas," Axel mumbled around the rose, a huge grin making it even harder to speak, "Pweaf be my vawenpine?"

_February…14__th__…right…_ The blond gaped. Remembering that it was Valentine's Day wasn't helping him come up with something to say to the ridiculous redhead, and there was a long pause, while Roxas opened and closed his mouth repeatedly…and Axel stood there, grinning and waiting.

"What…is all this…for?" Roxas finally managed, bewildered.

"Wew, I gwad you afked," Axel cheerfully began. "Dif if for womanpic candowight dinnow." He handed Roxas the candle and promptly used his free hand to pluck the rose from his mouth. "This is one-twelfth of a dozen red roses because it has been _exactly_ twelve days since our first kiss and also it's cheaper and everywhere is sold out of roses right now." The rose was shoved into Roxas' free hand. "This is a card because you're supposed to send cards for this kinda thing, and this is a teddy bear for you to snuggle when I'm not there and it even smells like me!" With a quick motion, the redhead grabbed the bear and – to Roxas' shock – rubbed the damn thing right in his armpit just before dumping it and the card into his arms, almost catching the bear on fire on the candle. "And this is chocolates, because…come on. Chocolates." He made a quick "Duh" gesture and set the box unceremoniously on top of Roxas' head. "And this is a diamond ring!" The velvet box was shoved forward and held an inch from Roxas' nose.

Wide blue eyes just stared at Axel. "Really?"

"Well, no," the man admitted with a laugh, opening the box. "It's just a Mickey Mouse watch, see? I can't afford diamonds and I figured, a ring? Probably too soon."

"Oh…" Roxas swallowed, still stunned. "Wow…" Then after another long pause while Axel just grinned at him, he managed to begin reacting in somewhat of a daze. "Uh…thank you…come in?" Roxas moved to the side, heading straight for the coffee table to set things down.

Arms closed around him from behind as soon as he had, warm breath on his neck and a low voice… "So will you? Be my valentine…"

A shiver electrified Roxas' spine, a smile spreading his lips as he felt Axel begin to place barely-there kisses on his neck. "Mmmm," he paused, grinning, "I dunno. I don't think this is enough…where's the lingerie?"

Axel's head jumped up. "Shit! Didn't think of that!" Roxas burst out laughing.

"Well, what about the love lotion and condoms?" He teased.

Arms tightened around him, Axel's voice dropping instantly to an insinuating low purr. "In my back pocket."

Blue eyes widened and Roxas' breath caught, making his reply almost gasped, "R-really?"

"Check for yourself." There was no mistaking the curling sound of a grin in those words as Axel turned his head to nip at Roxas' ear.

Breathing in deeply, he twisted his arm around to fumble behind them, locating Axel's ass and the pockets of his jeans and… "Wow." He stared at the supplies in his hand. "You're serious."

"Hell yeah," the man growled, still smiling, and turned Roxas around to face him. "But we can treat it as a joke if you want to. No worries." _Again…how does he do that?_ The tone was so light, so cheerful and free…it really would be absolutely fine, Roxas realized, if he said he wanted to wait.

_Ha, yeah right._ Like he was gonna say _that_.

And Axel's taste was delicious as always, wonderfully familiar now, and his mouth was so warm and responsive as Roxas crushed their bodies together and felt Axel move against him fluidly, arms pulling him closer and – as always – paying a little fond attention to his ass in the process. After a few minutes of _that_, Roxas was breaking away to growl lustfully, "Come with me."

"Where?" Axel grinned, following as he was dragged by the hand.

"I've got something to show you."

"What?" The man still sounded innocent, all smiles.

"My bed." Roxas was surprised when suddenly his hand was yanked as Axel stopped.

"Wait wait wait!" With a quick pull, he was pressed against Axel again. "You didn't answer my question yet."

"What question?" Roxas thought maybe there'd been a question…but Axel was so _hot_ and they were so close and _God_ he was holding _condoms_ in his hand and their hips were pressed together and he was so, so aware of the front of Axel's jeans against his own, barely anything keeping their groins from _touching_… And he _wanted_ it, he wanted them to _touch_ and _kiss_ and get _naked_ and…

Axel laughed shortly at Roxas' glazed-over expression, then sobered, sweetly kissing his temple. "Will you be my valentine?" Green eyes watched him, sparkling, so tender…

"Hmmm," Roxas paused, mind coming back a little bit. "Like…valentine…for Valentine's Day? Or…"

"There's no expiration date on this valentine." His voice was so _soft_…

"So I could call you my boyfriend?"

"Yes, please." Axel winked. Roxas grinned.

"Then…I'd be happy to be yours…since you're mine."

"I so totally am." And Axel kissed him, once. "Oh, and you should also know I'm in love with you already." His tone was so matter-of-fact, Roxas had to laugh.

"I know." He pressed closer. "I love you, too."

"Ah, good." Axel sighed, as if relieved, though his smile showed that he really hadn't been in any doubt. And then his mouth was back on Roxas' and it was such a _perfect_ kiss, so smooth and affectionate and sweet, and balanced between the two of them, neither one forcing the other into submission…not _yet_. Not until the "I love you" kiss was over, followed by a short pause to make eye contact again…

The two young men collided passionately, their desires once again in perfect agreement – _now_ was the time to kiss wildly again, to embrace and touch and stumble over each other's feet the last few paces to Roxas' bedroom. The blond's libido seconded the redhead's wholeheartedly – _now_ was most definitely a _perfect_ time to fumble and tug and tear at clothing – his own or Axel's or both, it didn't matter – blindly, sometimes to no effect, sometimes with great success. _Now_ was ideal for letting the heat escalate rapidly, the voice moan in arousal, and the clothes disappear like the unwanted things they were. _All_ of them – Roxas didn't feel shy or nervous this time. He was too busy tumbling backward onto his own bed with Axel, both of them tangled up in each other and lost in a fit of naked giggles and messy kisses.

And then they were laying side-by-side, both aroused, both breathing hard, eyes shining. Axel's hands were exploring his body, playful and pleasuring and hot, and green eyes glittered at him in the pause.

"Top or bottom?"

Roxas blinked. "Do you mean…like…like which position…?" His hands attempted to sketch what he couldn't quite speak – riding or lying down? "Or…"

"I _mean_," Axel chuckled, "who's _entering_."

_He can't be serious…_ "You mean…like if _I_ want to…?"

"Yeah." That incredible, easygoing grin again. "Do you want to take me, or be taken?"

"I…I _could?_ You mean you'd …"

"Let you do me? _Yeah_, Roxas. Why not?" The blond gasped as the grinning redhead wrapped a hand around his erection. "We're the same, aren't we? You've got one of these too; why shouldn't you want to use it?"

Biting his lip, the blond moaned out an answer. "I just assumed…because…because you were always so interested in my ass…"

Axel laughed aloud, then leaned forward to nip at his earlobe. "I _am_ interested in your ass. It's delightful. But I'm more interested in _you_, and I don't have a preference, so I'm asking what _you_ want to do." Roxas swallowed uncertainly, trying to think, staring at Axel – his _boyfriend_ – trying to tell if he was for real. He was grinning… "Look." …And plucking the condoms from Roxas' hand. "Two sizes, see?" Focusing his eyes, the blond blushed. _Medium and…large. God._ His boyfriend's voice was getting singsong, "Which dooo weee use? Which one, which one? Doo _bee_ doo bee doo _bee_ doo…" _The Jeopardy song? Great._

"I…um…ah, shut up Axel, you're making me nervous!" He slapped the man's arm lightly and Axel quieted.

"Sorry." His grin went a little sheepish. "I'll just do this until you decide, then." And Roxas had to groan as Axel moved to his neck, mouthing over the skin, so hot and wet, making his whole body shiver with desire…

_How the hell am I supposed to concentrate enough to decide anything like __**this?**__ Oh…oh my God…_ "O-OK," he finally panted, after a few minutes of losing his mind. He'd just have to go with what he was most prepared for, and think about…_other things_…next time. "Nnnn, Axel…" His neck was released and Axel met his eyes, waiting politely. "Th-this time…um…" His breathing was so _unsteady…_ "L-large…"

A gentle grin. "You sure?" Roxas just nodded, holding on to broad shoulders and trying not to faint with desire as the man tossed the other condom and…and tore the large one open with his teeth. And then, yet another surprise – Axel leaned forward, pecked a little kiss on the tip of Roxas' nose, and murmured, "Mysterious as always, my love."

Heat flushing more than just his face, Roxas smiled. "Can I…can I put it on for you?"

With only the slightest surprised hesitation, Axel was pulling away and rolling onto his back. "Abso_lute_ly sweetheart, go right ahead!"

Given such wholehearted permission, Roxas had to grin as he took the condom from Axel. And then he had to maintain control, with his lover's erection in his hands and Axel making little sounds of pleasure at his touch, and so much else driving him _crazy_ with need until his body was screaming, _Hurry, hurry, faster! Quick…Axel…I need him, I need it now!_

He was moments away from lowering himself onto the man when the hot touch at his entrance had blue and green eyes locking, wide.

"Oops…"

"We forgot…"

"…Preparation."

"_Shit!"_

In spite of their desperate frustration, they both snorted in laughter at their synchronized cussing. And then, of course, changed positions in order to take care of that as quickly as possible.

Not that it was a _chore_, though. Before long, Axel's helpful fingers were slowing down, taking their time inside Roxas, the redhead muttering, "Fuck…how could I have forgotten _this_ part?" Roxas, for his part, nearly came. He had to warn Axel – when he could speak again over his own gasping for air – to try to avoid _that spot_ for now. His stamina was shuddering, weakening…longing to give out. He needed to hang on for…

Penetration. "_Ahhh! Yeeeees!_ Ahhh, _nnn Axel!_" When Axel took him it was heaven. Arms wrapped around him from behind, cherishing him, touching him, as Axel's voice moaned low in his ear the whole way in. Roxas was supported on his knees, clinging to a pillow, which was probably a better idea than being on top this time, riding, because he just hadn't been _expecting_ it to _feel_ like this. If he'd been in any position to collapse, he would have. Definitely.

Axel was very, very gentle. Slow, rocking thrusts that went on for what felt like forever…Roxas couldn't believe how long his lover could keep that up without going wild. He couldn't believe how much begging it took to make Axel speed up, too – and that was only near the end, after Axel made him _pinky-promise in the middle of sex_ that he didn't feel even the slightest bit of discomfort anymore. Roxas couldn't believe it…and he was laughing and moaning and smiling and dying as Axel kissed the back of his neck and his shoulders and thrust harder and kissed his throat and tugged his chin around to steal his lips and thrust faster and rubbed their tongues together with the same pulsing beat as their rocking bodies and his pumping hand around Roxas' arousal again and again and again and _again_…

Until, with impeccable timing – which both would comment on afterward – they cried out together and came, releasing together, feeling each other, breathing each other, _being_ each other. And then they lay still, so close together, and Roxas marveled at how heavenly a lot of sticky, sweaty skin could feel…when you're in love.

"Damn…that was awesome, huh? How'd we time it so good like that? Fuckin'…fate or something? Hey, where's your trash?"

"Over there," Roxas panted, glad it was close enough that Axel didn't have to get up to pitch the condom. "What, like, a fated moment for orgasm, or we're fated for each other?"

Axel laughed and pulled him close again. "I meant fated for each other, being such compatible neighbors and all…but I like the sound of a 'fated orgasm' so…both." It was hard to use the lips well in a kiss when neither young man could stop grinning, but…they tried.

"Hey, Axel?" Roxas was stroking a sweaty green Celtic cross.

"Yes, Lover?" Axel was playing with damp blond strands.

"You're spending the night." It wasn't a question.

"Kay." He just smiled.

~o~

Roxas' lease expired in December. At that time, he and Axel made a joint trip to the rental office to sign a _new_ lease, smiling complacently at the skeptical stare of the secretary, who wondered if they didn't want to move into a _two-bedroom_ apartment, rather than Axel's _one_. Axel grinned, but he had promised to be good, so he didn't say anything horrifyingly personal, just politely insisted that he'd like Roxas added to his lease as a cosigner.

All of Axel's friends came over for a moving party, though by that time there was really only the furniture to remove, since most of Roxas' stuff had been gradually filtering downstairs for the past ten months. Marluxia took Roxas' bed, since they didn't need two, and Demyx took Roxas' couch – since they didn't have _room_ for two – even though Roxas' couch was nicer than Axel's and they would have rather given Axel's piece of crap away, but Roxas said he felt bad about giving Demyx a couch that was so…_stained_. And Axel said OK, they could keep his stained couch for sentimental reasons. Nobody wanted Roxas' old TV.

Roxas wore a Mickey Mouse watch to work every day, and his boss backed off once the blond let it be generally known that he was very much taken…though the eye-raping never really stopped, but Roxas could live with that.

Axel picked up a book for the first time since high school – Roxas' novel. He asked a lot of questions about what various words meant, but he liked the story a lot, and Roxas lowered the vocabulary level, which turned out to be one of the reasons it was accepted for publication a year later.

They stayed on the third floor for a long time, years in fact…until Axel finished building their house.

Roxas' legs were very, very OK with this.

~o~

_A/N: For a short epilogue scene, head over to The Drabble Series chapter 135, "Home Sweet Home."_

**Note to readers!** Hey guys! If you read this because you're into Axel and Roxas and that's pretty much it, well...thanks! I hope you liked it! :D But if you also wonder if this Kurosora1984 lady has anything else to entertain you, and if you are even a little interested in other guys getting their sexy romance on, check out my current original story on FP! Links in my profile! Thank you, dears! :D


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